Kurt Vonnegut: Grow Your Soul
on Saturday, November 11, 2023Meaning of Kurt Vonnegut Money Quote: saying that practicing the arts may help us all discover our own being if money isn’t our focus. Kurt Vonnegut said:
“Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what’s inside you, to make your soul grow” — Kurt Vonnegut
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This quote from Kurt Vonnegut encourages pursuing artistic endeavors for their own intrinsic rewards rather than primarily for external goals like financial gain or acclaim. Some key points in interpreting his perspective:
- Vonnegut implies that true creative fulfillment comes from the self-discovery process of “becoming” through artistic expression, not outside measures of wealth or notoriety.
- He portrays the arts as a means of exploration, growth and understanding of one’s inner depths or “soul” through dedicated practice, regardless of level of skill or recognition.
- Most creative professionals would agree Vonnegut’s quote reflects how art can enrich one’s life regardless of worldly “success” through developing skills and perspective.
- A balanced interpretation acknowledges both Vonnegut’s viewpoint as well as the reality that commerce and personal satisfaction often intersect for many artists seeking sustainable careers.
Overall, the quote conveys Vonnegut’s belief that the intrinsic rewards of artistic endeavor, like self-realization, should be the primary motivator over extrinsic goals which cannot define an individual or be the only measure of contribution through their work.
Birthday: November 11, 1922 – Death: April 11, 2007